Fifty Plus (50+) - Trainers

Since my new bike will not arrive before the snow, my wife is now talking about buying a trainer and bannishing me and my new bike to the garage with a trainer. (I told her a blonde personal trainer would do just fine, but she's not buying it :rolleyes: )

I know nothing about trainers other than the one paragraph provided by Bike Nashbar about how smooth, quiet, etc.

Help me out here, folks. What do you all think about trainers -- which are the best, worst, or should I just head out to the rec center and use their spinners over the winter?

I think you were on the right track. Blonde trainers are by FAR the best. :D

I just ordered the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer that had very good reviews.

http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=2482

I just ordered the Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer that had very good reviews.

http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=2482
+1 great trainer even if it isn't blonde.

The Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid Trainer is a good solid piece of equipment. It is quiet as long as you have relatively smooth tires. I don't have a lot of miles on mine but I sure do get a good workout when I ride it.

I also have a set of Kreitler Dyno-Myte Rollers. I prefer to ride the rollers rather than the Road Machine.

If I had to choose between the Kreitlers or the Kurt, I'd take the blonde.

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/BicycleTrainerSupport/?yguid=11846886

Check out the files section for various reviews and info. Also, search the posts.

A stationary bicycle trainer is an absolutely excellent way to determine your Threshold of Boredom.

A stationary bicycle trainer is an absolutely excellent way to determine your Threshold of Boredom.
One of my concerns. It would be more fun to invest in cold weather gear and keep on hittin' the road.

One of my concerns. It would be more fun to invest in cold weather gear and keep on hittin' the road.

Also, invest in a few Spinerval dvd's and experience your Threshold of Victimization. On slow, recovery days, you can spin away and watch "Rocky", "Breaking Away", etc. or get sucked up into your iPod. From Daylight Savings thru February I can't get home from work in time for much road riding.....so the garage becomes gym/theater. Boredom...sure. Useful, yes. Make me appreciate weekend rides...you bet.

A stationary bicycle trainer is an absolutely excellent way to determine your Threshold of Boredom.

That just might become someone's new sig line.

How 'bout rollers. I've heard the challenge of staying upright relieves boredom. Really, I heard this at the LBS.

I use a trainer made by 1up. It's pretty simple to setup and use but not cheap....However, I try and avoid trainers at all cost. Give me cold and wind over riding indoors anyday......I understand you have a few more weather issues than we do in NC though.

I think the site is www.1upUSA.com.

Hi,
I have been using Kurt Kinetics for a couple years. If you have a place where
you call leave it set up; you can also get their Watt Meter. Cheapest way there is
to use watts as a training tool. Prob gonna get it this winter.
http://www.kurtkinetic.com/reviews_links.php

The varaible fluid trainers that Performance and Nashbar sell are reasonably priced, sturdy, easy to set-up, and mine has over 1500 miles on it with no mechanical issues. It is boring. A must have is a TV with VCR or DVD (I prefer action films). Headphones in case you might disturb someone else in the house. And a fan if you can't ride in a reasonably cool area. Mine helped me keep my bicycle legs, but not my climbing legs over last winter. For this winter I'm also setting up a MTB with studded tires, fenders, racks etc. for some winter riding on snow mobile trails in order to help fight the winter indoor blues.

You should all consider training tapes such as Spinervals or Carmichaels.

The routine they give you is so much more demanding and varied than one you would figure out for yourseld, that the boredom factor becomes much less.

I know you don't believe this, but give it a try and you will find I am correct.

Another option would be to move to Florida or Southern California for the winter and ride outdoors. We have lots of snowbirds! :D

cycleops and a remote TV control. Spin during the commercials.

Since my new bike will not arrive before the snow, my wife is now talking about buying a trainer and bannishing me and my new bike to the garage with a trainer. (I told her a blonde personal trainer would do just fine.
Here is your blond trainer..... :D

Another +1 here for the Kurt Kinetic. I've been using one on and off (on whenever the weather's awful in winter, off in summer except when I have to work so late that it's dark before I can ride), and I've probably got about 2000 miles on it. Not a single complaint. It's a good idea to use a dedicated trainer bike or to put on a rear tire that's designed for trainer use, since the tire wear on any indoor trainer can be significant.

I've found that I enjoy watching bike race videos during a workout... World Cycling Productions has an excellent selection of race DVDs.

Two other things: Get a good strong fan to blow air directly on you, and drink lots of water. I typically go through four bottles in a two-hour workout. With the reduced evaporative cooling you get indoors, it's very easy to get dehydrated if you aren't careful.

We have a CycleOps Fluid 2 trainer. Along with several Spinnervals DVD's it helps. We also have some "Bike-o-vision" DVD's that are basically videos shot as though you're riding on the road in various idyllic settings (California wine country, Italy, etc.). But yeah, it can get awfully boring. I bought some rollers at the beginning of the season but haven't set them up yet. Spinning classes are good.

If you have the disposable income, they make trainers that not only analyze your stroke (show if you're mashing or not), but can be set up to emulate various courses, or hooked up interactively over the internet with other riders with whom you can "race".

DG was maybe joking, but the best thing I did last winter was go to Palm Springs in February and ride the Tour De Palm Springs. Really helped break up the winter.

Another option would be to move to Florida or Southern California for the winter and ride outdoors. We have lots of snowbirds! :D


Sorry, Flordia is full, nothing to see here, roads are full. Now go home...;)

Sorry, Flordia is full, nothing to see here, roads are full. Now go home...;)

Plus those hanging chads produce lots of flat tires!

Any trainer is good, some are quieter than others.
I find that I cannot ride my trainer for more than half an hour at a time because it does become boring.
The only exception is when I am watching a hockey game.
Of course my trainer is planted in front of my TV (actually 20 feet in front of it).

If you get yourself a Catrike (3-wheel recumbent) as I have done, you can ride all year round unless the snow on the road is more than 6" deep. It is also easier to dress warmer than on a DF (2-wheel diamond frame bicycle).

How 'bout rollers. I've heard the challenge of staying upright relieves boredom. Really, I heard this at the LBS.

Try doing a search on rollers. There have been quite a few posts in the past year regarding rollers. As I have mentioned before, I have a set of Kreitler rollers. They are not as hard to stay upright on as you may think. It does take a bit of practice. I think you get more of your body involved in the experience on rollers than on a trainer. I know from experience since I also have a Kurt Kinetic Road Machine Fluid trainer.